


Of Jam Donuts and Beautiful Futures

by alacarton



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Royai - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 13:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7978987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alacarton/pseuds/alacarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>On tumblr account: ohsnapsnapsparkspark</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> On tumblr account: ohsnapsnapsparkspark

Roy had called in sick. Well, _sick_. In Havoc’s words, he’d had “a heavy night” and couldn’t make it in.

The post-Promised Day Roy had been promisingly different. This, however, brought Riza crashing back to the reality that despite the majority of his so-called dates being information exchanges, he was evidently still prone to the same alcohol-fuelled debauchery he had always fallen pray to.

It’d have been a lie to say she wasn’t angry. Or upset, for that matter. Not that _either_ of those was for public consumption. She had excused herself from the office, and headed into town, stopping past a small bakers that she often frequented, with the intention of taking her frustrations out on a particularly plump jam donut. After selecting her sacrifice, and thanking the flustered looking shop assistant for saving her from what had to be a headache of a day already, she turned to leave.

And the heavens be damned, there he was. He didn’t look particularly as though he had had “a heavy night”, she would give him that.

” Good morning, sir.“ He jumped at her voice, staring at her, before pulling himself somewhat together.

” Ah, Captain. Good morning…“ He was flustered. It made her stomach twist. _He’s hiding something_. “ Out for breakfast?”

“ I had an errand to run.” Short, and not so sweet. _What the hell was he playing at?_

” Ah…“ Suspiciously silent. ” Did you get my memo? About-“

” About having the day off. Yes, sir. Havoc informed me you had a busy night, so had asked for the day off.“ His eyes widened, and he licked his lips. _Nervous._

” Yeah, I, uh… didn’t get much sleep.“ He stared at her as the words left his mouth, and then immediately started babbling. ” I didn’t mean… that came out wrong.“ What the hell indeed.

” Sir, I don’t need you to justify how you spend your evenings…“

” No, I just didn’t mean-“

” Uncle Roy! I want this one!“

Riza stopped, the roaring annoyance in her head crashing to a halt, and glanced past him, to where Elicia stood, eagerly pointing at a large glazed bun on the other side of the glass. Roy, who suddenly could not meet her gaze, dug into his pocket, change rattling, clearly desperate for a change of subject.

“ Sure, sure, just-”

“ Miss Riza!”

“ Elicia! What are you doing here?” The little girl’s smile was infectious, and she skipped back over, clinging onto Roy’s free hand as she beamed up at Riza.

“ I’m having a sleepover with Uncle Roy for the weekend!”

And stoic face be damned, she felt herself smile back in delight. _A sleepover_. The thought of Roy attempting any kind of domesticity was, at best, a hilarious daydream. Or so she had thought.

“ Are you really?”

” Yeah! Last night we made hot chocolate, and we stayed up late and told fairytale stories about a king and a queen and they saved the world! And Uncle Roy plaited my hair, look!“ She gave a twirl, beaming proudly as she tugged at the end of said plait. Roy did his damned best to avoid her gaze, and she doubted his cheeks could have burned any redder.

” Gracia had a…a last minute weekend with her sister and I said I would…she wouldn’t go to sleep… a-and she couldn’t go out looking a mess!“ He managed to stammer through, completely un-Roy-like nervousness evident. It suited him. Heck, the whole situation did.

“ Well, it seems you are far more competent a babysitter than you have ever let on, sir.” Roy looked up at her, expecting sarcasm but instead met only a genuine, warm smile. He stared at her for moment, before shrugging nonchalantly, the hint of a smirk passing over his lips.

“ She’s not nearly as difficult as babysitting Fullmetal.” She tutted disapprovingly, but a chuckle escaped her none the less. Elicia broke the moment, whining softly as she tugged on Roy’s hand once again.

“ You said we would go to the park!” He changed instantly; anxious General Mustang vanished, and cool, calm and collected Uncle Roy appeared instead, handing the girl a small pile change with a chuckle.

“ And we will, young lady! Right after you’ve paid for this bun of yours and-”

“ Can you come to the park with us, Miss Riza?” And the large, doe eyes were on her, guilting her for having any reason for not going to the park at that instant.

“ I’m afraid I have to work, Elicia. In fact, I really should be going.” Insta-guilt. Her face fell, but only for a second, before she beamed once again.

“ Then come for dinner with us tonight! Uncle Roy said your hot chocolate was better than his, and I want to try it!” Roy’s reprieval ended swiftly, and he chose to roll his eyes.

“ That wasn’t what I said…”

“ Yes it was! You said Miss Riza makes the best hot chocolate in all of Amestris, and if Xing has hot chocolate, it’s probably the best there too!” Elicia huffed, looking back to Riza, oblivious to the now floundering Roy. “ Please?” Damn those eyes.

“ How could I say no to that?” The young girl cheered, swinging from Roy’s hand again in delight. Roy, for his part, looked equally as delighted, before quickly smothering it under a wave of attempted calm and non-chalance once more.

“ I’m making stew.” She took that as an invitation. “ You could bring the dog too. For Elicia.” Definitely an invitation.

“ I’ll be there. And sir…“ she looked back at him, raising an eyebrow “ I hope I’ll get to hear those fairytales of yours tonight.“


	2. Chapter 2

“ She’s _finally_ asleep.” Roy was almost a broken man as he collapsed against the doorway,  after a solid hour of bedtime story telling. Riza grinned, nudging him gently as he moaned. “ I can’t believe it took 2 mugs of hot chocolate and a whole _novel_ to get her to close her eyes…”  
  
“ You’re very good with her. She obviously loves her Uncle Roy dearly.”   
  
He chuckled in response, before grinning at her. “ Or I’m getting soft in my old age, and I’m a pushover, so she likes me. I don’t know if anybody else would have told that story twice…” His response was simply a raised eyebrow, and he knew she had seen right through that very simple reply. “ She’s a special kid. I like seeing her happy.” He fell silent, brow furrowing, smile faltering as he considered his own words.  
  
“ Hughes would be over the moon to know you’ve taken up babysitting. And that Elicia has such a wonderful male role model.” A gentle hand on his arm told him she was genuine about the statement, and he looked at her once more. She knew. _She always knew._  
  
He took his time to reply, gnawing the very corner of his lip.“ It’s the least I can do, isn’t it? I owe him, and I owe her…” He paused once more, before pain crossed his eyes. “ I guess it’s like having part of him back when she is around too. That same ridiculously enthusiastic demeanour…” They shared a quiet chuckle, before Roy spoke again, his eyes fixed with hers.  
  
“ Sometimes I used to wonder what it was like, to have what Hughes had…I remember getting off the train, after Ishval and…” He tailed off, lost in thought, Maybe he was right. About settling down, and marriage and kids. Maybe all that rambling of his held some truth…“ He stopped, acutely aware of Riza’s gaze on him, before pulling a disgruntled face. ” Or maybe he was just Hughes and he’s finally brainwashed me.“  
  
” He was a cleverer man than he often let on.“ Riza’s reply was short, and cut through any attempt to disguise the sincerity in his words. _She knows you more than you know yourself_ , the whisper in his ear told him. They shared a look, a silence falling over the apartment, before Riza broke away, turning from him.  
  
” I am going to head home, and leave you in peace. Thank you for this evening, but I-“  
   
“ Stay.” Her eyes widened as she looked back to him, before glancing down. He had caught her hand. She stared at it and considered it for what seemed like an age; he had always had warm, soft hands, and she marvelled at the way her slim fingers seemed to slip so easily between his much larger ones. There has always been something comforting about feeling her hand in his; it said safety, and comfort and…A gentle squeeze brought her gaze back up to his, and something in those dark eyes of his said this was about much more than just tonight. “ _Please_?” 

  
And she crumbled. The world could have been burning down around her ears, but in that moment, she was his, and his only. _Haven’t you always been?_ was the whisper in her mind.  
  
” Roy…“

His lips were on hers before she could think, his free hand cupping her face. Both her heart and body betrayed her, and she curled a hand in his shirt, her reply just as fierce. They parted slowly, both almost reluctant, before their eyes met. Neither spoke for what seemed like an age, before Roy finally cracked in the silence.  
  
” It’s been a lot of years since…“  
  
” Since we last decided that was a good idea? It has.“  
  
“ Since the day I left you for the Academy.” He paused, before giving her a small, apologetic smile. ” We haven’t really had the time, have we?“  
  
” Time for what?“  
  
” For us.“   
  
She felt her expression soften at his words, as her heart screamed at her. And surprisingly, for once in her life, Riza listened. She leant forward, catching his lips in a gentle kiss, before offering a smile. ” We can make time, right?“ His smile matched hers in an instant.  
  
” I’d like that.“ There was a brief pause, and Riza’s face flushed, to which he gave her hand another gentle squeeze. ” What’s the matter?“  
   
She looked up at him, almost a nervous smile returning. ” If I stay…Would you just hold me? And… _maybe_ tell me the story again, about the king and queen saving the world again?“ 

 

* * *

 

It was into the wee hours of the morning when he awoke, his neck screaming for relief from the position he had twisted himself into. He groaned, ready to stretch, before the warmth and weight on chest caused him to stop. She was still curled against him, snoring softly, blanket draped around her, and entirely peaceful. She wore an expression so far removed from her daily stoic scowl, and it made his heart sing. He moved slowly, and lifted her, hushing as she grumbled in her sleep, before carefully tiptoeing into the bedroom, stepping over a snoozing Black Hayate in the hallway. She didn’t stir as he tucked her under the sheets, nor when he placed a tender kiss to her forehead and snuck back into the hall. Elicia’s snores echoed from the spare bedroom, and he sighed contentedly, heading back through to the couch, and stretching out once more, his earlier words coming back to mind.  
  
Maybe Hughes had been right after all. About the simple peace and happiness of settling down. _A beautiful future._  
  
Smug, know it all bastard.


End file.
